Wildcats Hold Off Lady Eagles? Comeback Attempt
2/21/2009 5:19:00 AM | Women's Basketball
STATESBORO, GA - Seniors Ashley Melson and Ashley Rivens were looking to snap a 10-game winning streak Davidson holds over Georgia Southern on senior night, but the Wildcats managed to hold off the Lady Eagles Saturday afternoon (Feb. 21) in Hanner Fieldhouse for a Southern Conference win. A 65-57 decision pushed Davidson to 11-16 overall and 10-8 in Southern Conference play, while Georgia Southern dropped to 15-12, 10-8.
Georgia Southern led by one at the half, 27-26, but could not hold on to the lead as Davidson outscored the Lady Eagles 39-30 in the second half. Despite winning the edge on glass, 39-36, Georgia Southern hit a season low 1-of-21 from beyond the three point arc (5 percent) to Davidson's 8-of-16 effort (50 percent). The Lady Eagles scored 22 points off Davidson's 20 errors, but the Wildcats shot 50 percent from the floor to the Lady Eagles' 32 percent in the game.
Freshman Samantha Williams (Kingsport, Tenn.) exploded for a three minute spurt in the second half, scoring eight points and securing three rebounds to draw the Lady Eagles to within two, 51-49, with 4:31 to play. After a lay-up from Monica Laune, senior Rivens (Charlotte, N.C.), playing in her last home game of her career, hit two from the charity stripe to cut Davidson's lead back down to two. But consecutive treys from Alex Thompson and Ashley Lax widened the Wildcats' margin to six points with :54 remaining in the game.
Senior Eagle Melson connected on a three point play with a jumper and free throw with :17 seconds left, but Davidson went 4-for-4 from the charity stripe in the final seconds to secure the 65-57 final score. Over the final four minutes, the Wildcats went on a 16-7 run, going 6-of-6 from the charity stripe.
“Sam [Samantha Williams] was unbelievable during that stretch in the second half,” said head coach Rusty Cram. “She put us back in the ballgame single handedly. But then we'd get unfocused and they would nail us in the back with a three. And that's frustrating.
The bench was the difference tonight. Other than Sam, we didn't get much bench help. She [Williams] showed great determination and hard work today,” said Cram.
Georgia Southern trailed the majority of the first half, but tied the game twice and held the lead three times over the course of the opening twenty minutes. Down 12-5 with 12:50 to go in the opening stanza, the Lady Eagles went on an 8-2 run over 3:47 to make it a one point game, 14-13. The Wildcats managed to widen its lead back to five points, but Rivens and Jamie Navarro (Naples, Fla.) teamed up on back-to-back field goals to tie the game at 18 apiece with 5:02 remaining.
After a three pointer from Lax, J'Lisia Ogburn (Dublin, Ga.), who opened the game scoring Georgia Southern's first four from the field, connected on a pair from the charity stripe to make it a 21-20 Davidson game. Jumpers from Rivens and Ogburn pushed Georgia Southern back in the lead, 24-23, with 2:20 to go. But Lax nailed her third trey of the first half before Navarro drained a jumper to tie the game at 26-all with :53 seconds to go. Krista Tate (Atlanta, Ga.) took a trip to the free throw line, connecting on 1-of-2, to close out the half with a 27-26 Georgia Southern lead.
Ogburn paced Georgia Southern today, scoring a team-high 15 points. Jessica Geiger (Stone Mountain, Ga.) pulled down a team-best seven boards. Seniors Melson and Rivens had identical games as both scored 10 points and secured three rebounds in their final home game as Lady Eagles.
Lax led the Wildcats' with a game-high 24 points, while Kristen Johnson secured a team-best seven rebounds.
Georgia Southern hits the road for its final two games of the season next. The Lady Eagles travel to Spartanburg, S.C. for a 4 pm tip against Wofford on Monday, February 23. Georgia Southern closes out the regular season with a trip to Appalachian State on February 28.
Georgia Southern led by one at the half, 27-26, but could not hold on to the lead as Davidson outscored the Lady Eagles 39-30 in the second half. Despite winning the edge on glass, 39-36, Georgia Southern hit a season low 1-of-21 from beyond the three point arc (5 percent) to Davidson's 8-of-16 effort (50 percent). The Lady Eagles scored 22 points off Davidson's 20 errors, but the Wildcats shot 50 percent from the floor to the Lady Eagles' 32 percent in the game.
Freshman Samantha Williams (Kingsport, Tenn.) exploded for a three minute spurt in the second half, scoring eight points and securing three rebounds to draw the Lady Eagles to within two, 51-49, with 4:31 to play. After a lay-up from Monica Laune, senior Rivens (Charlotte, N.C.), playing in her last home game of her career, hit two from the charity stripe to cut Davidson's lead back down to two. But consecutive treys from Alex Thompson and Ashley Lax widened the Wildcats' margin to six points with :54 remaining in the game.
Senior Eagle Melson connected on a three point play with a jumper and free throw with :17 seconds left, but Davidson went 4-for-4 from the charity stripe in the final seconds to secure the 65-57 final score. Over the final four minutes, the Wildcats went on a 16-7 run, going 6-of-6 from the charity stripe.
“Sam [Samantha Williams] was unbelievable during that stretch in the second half,” said head coach Rusty Cram. “She put us back in the ballgame single handedly. But then we'd get unfocused and they would nail us in the back with a three. And that's frustrating.
The bench was the difference tonight. Other than Sam, we didn't get much bench help. She [Williams] showed great determination and hard work today,” said Cram.
Georgia Southern trailed the majority of the first half, but tied the game twice and held the lead three times over the course of the opening twenty minutes. Down 12-5 with 12:50 to go in the opening stanza, the Lady Eagles went on an 8-2 run over 3:47 to make it a one point game, 14-13. The Wildcats managed to widen its lead back to five points, but Rivens and Jamie Navarro (Naples, Fla.) teamed up on back-to-back field goals to tie the game at 18 apiece with 5:02 remaining.
After a three pointer from Lax, J'Lisia Ogburn (Dublin, Ga.), who opened the game scoring Georgia Southern's first four from the field, connected on a pair from the charity stripe to make it a 21-20 Davidson game. Jumpers from Rivens and Ogburn pushed Georgia Southern back in the lead, 24-23, with 2:20 to go. But Lax nailed her third trey of the first half before Navarro drained a jumper to tie the game at 26-all with :53 seconds to go. Krista Tate (Atlanta, Ga.) took a trip to the free throw line, connecting on 1-of-2, to close out the half with a 27-26 Georgia Southern lead.
Ogburn paced Georgia Southern today, scoring a team-high 15 points. Jessica Geiger (Stone Mountain, Ga.) pulled down a team-best seven boards. Seniors Melson and Rivens had identical games as both scored 10 points and secured three rebounds in their final home game as Lady Eagles.
Lax led the Wildcats' with a game-high 24 points, while Kristen Johnson secured a team-best seven rebounds.
Georgia Southern hits the road for its final two games of the season next. The Lady Eagles travel to Spartanburg, S.C. for a 4 pm tip against Wofford on Monday, February 23. Georgia Southern closes out the regular season with a trip to Appalachian State on February 28.
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